Perfect Deviled Eggs

"You can make them," Boyfriend Javelin says, darkly. "But I not saying I'll eat them." He's not smiling and it's no joke. The man has never liked deviled eggs. Not at parties, not at cookouts, not ever.

"So you're gonna make me eat them all myself?" I ask, trying to sound accusatory. "You wanna see me get fat?" Which will happen, because unlike Boyfriend Javelin, I love deviled eggs. Too much. Put a plate in front of me and watch what happens.

"I don't care what you do with them," Boyfriend Javelin comes back, unrelentingly. "But you know I don't like deviled eggs."

"Maybe you'll like mine," I say. And I'm being intentionally manipulative, and he knows it. "You have to at least try one."

He glares, the kind of glare that means I've won. The glare that says we both know I won't have to eat them all myself. Just all but one. "I'll try ONE," he says. And rolls his eyes at me. "One."

He actually ate three that first time. But then my first attempt at deviled eggs were such a deviation from the traditional flavor that I can't really call them deviled eggs. More like vinegar paprika bombs. Boyfriend Javelin specifically hates the taste of cooked egg yolk or white, together or separate. So I added so much vinegar and smoked paprika and mustard, you wouldn't have known there was any egg left. I even managed to entirely mask the bland egg white.

Boyfriend Javelin was happy. "These aren't bad," he said after the second egg. "But I don't know that everybody would like 'em like this."

In fact, I'm fairly sure, NOBODY except egg-haters would have liked deviled eggs like that. And if you're reaching for a deviled egg, you probably don't hate eggs. So a year later, when I finally got around to attempting deviled eggs again, I cut back on the vinegar, paprika and mustard.

Boyfriend Javelin managed to eat two from that batch. "I think a lot of people would like these," he said agreeably. But he didn't say he liked them. And I took that as a good sign of progress.

A few more attempts, a few more forced feedings and I was closer still. And Boyfriend Javelin was back to admitting he doesn't like deviled eggs. "But yours aren't bad," he reassured me. "I can eat yours without feeling sick."

Never have I heard higher praise. And although it may sound like I'm joking, I'm actually serious. I've finally found a deviled egg recipe so tasty, so irresistible, that even an ardent egg-hater like Boyfriend Javelin won't get sick. I admit, that's not much of a marketing slogan, but it's the truth.

These deviled eggs are precisely balanced in flavor and texture. The filling is thick but creamy, easily pipe-able without losing its shape. And unlike these eggs' predecessors, egg lovers can still enjoy the distinct flavor the yolks while egg haters will be pleased by the lack of "egginess". Maybe just this once, egg haters and egg lovers can unite. Throw a parade. Serve mountains of deviled eggs!

The hardest part of making deviled eggs is properly boiling the eggs - and then carefully peeling the eggs without destroying the egg whites. For helpful tips, check out my Hard Boiled Eggs technique.

My good friend Dan, who has been making deviled eggs a lot long than I, recommended using a sealable bag for smoothing out the egg yolk mixture. It worked so well, I pirated the idea and I've been using it ever since.

Homemade mayonnaise can make the difference between ho-hum deviled eggs and outstanding deviled eggs. So I recommend you stick with homemade mayonnaise. If you choose to use the bottled stuff, you will need to add 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt to the egg yolk mixture.

It may look like a lot of ingredients for deviled eggs, but everything works together to create a one-of-kind but familiar comfort food. The Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and smoked paprika help to cut the "egginess" and mustard powder helps boost flavor without making the filling soupy. All that said, if you're not a fan of a specific ingredient, leave it out or cut back.

My friends Anneli (from Delicieux) and Louisa (from Chez Foti) have started this fun new monthly challenge called Four Seasons Food (SFS) - check it out and enjoy this month's delicious theme of Picnic Food & Outdoor Nibbles!

Comments

Your eggs look beautiful - very skilfully piped! I am partial to a devilled egg but I couldn't eat a whole plate of them! But part of a buffet or as a nibble, I would certainly gobble up a few! A classic, beautifully executed x

beautiful pictures with the shiny blue tiles!... i've never really been a huge devilled eggs fan either but I wouldn't turn them down!... they're so retro chic now too - tell the boyfriend he's doing the style world a huge injustice not eating them... x

Oh I remember devilled eggs from church bbq picnics growing up. I also remember liking them more than the overcooked meats that were invariably served too. Luckily my mother made great ones -I think she might have put whizzed up sweet pickle in hers. They aren't something that gets made here in the UK but this post is reminding me how much they were a part of my childhood. Lovely recipe

Thank you so much for the kind words, Anneli. And I prefer to limit myself to about 4 deviled eggs at a time. But I'm a little ashamed to admit that I have actually managed to finish a whole 10 eggs (20 halves) in 2 days. Which, there's really no excuse for that :( Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed...

I grew up eating deviled eggs mostly at church potlucks, and that was about the only time I had them, so I kind of developed this addiction where I would stock up on the days I could get ahold of them... And are they retro chic? I didn't realize that... I just always considered the a classic summer picnic food. And I'll pass along the message ;)

Actually, church potlucks is where I grew up learning to love these ;) And like you, I enjoyed them much more so than the meats or potatoes or other dishes... I've never tried adding pickle to mine, but it doesn't sound bad to me. And I kinda want to try adding bacon (like they're not already bad enough!)... So glad you enjoyed, Kellie!

Glad you got Javelin to try your beautifully piped eggs, glad you didn't make them for me or I would eaten way too many! They look totally delish, and a beautiful pic too. Thanks so much for entering them to our first ever Four Seasons Food challenge!